Re: I have "issues" with ASN.1

> Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 11:40:57 -0500
> From: Ray denenberg <rden@loc.gov>
> 
> Thinking about the time I've spent over the last ten years prettying-up
> ASN.1 files that have been damaged in conversion makes me shudder (I
> wanted to say "makes me sick", but again, counseling has helped here).

Ray,

"I feel your pain", as the guy from _Star Trek V_ says (although see
the wonderful review at http://www.jabootu.com/startrekv.htm for a
different perspective.)

Nevertheless, I can't help thinking that you're apportioning the blame
in the wrong quarter here when you say:

> Please understand that this is not intended as a criticism of the
> NISO publishing process (they're doing a fine job) but rather at
> ASN.1.

> The process of preparing Z39.50 for publication as a standard involves
> conversion from one word processing system to another, including desktop
> publishing systems (and several iterations of conversion from one to
> another). The process generally works well.  However, ASN.1 just doesn't
> withstand these conversions.

How is that ASN.1's fault?  It's a chunk a raw text which asks nothing
more than to be left alone, transcribed unchanged from one format to
the next.  No fancy formatting tricks are necessary -- in fact your
problems almost certainly come from one of the WP packages trying to
get _too_ cute.

How is that ASN.1's fault?

I suggest addressing the overly intricate and baroque sequence of
conversions that the NISO publishing process seems to require.

With all that said --

> Well, I'm willing to spend the time it takes to fix this, but I want
> it to be the absolute last time in my life that I go through this
> process.  That's why I'm taking this unusual step [of keeping all
> the ASN.1 in a single consolidated document]

-- I don't see why anyone would object to this.  I certainly don't,
anyway.

 _/|_	 _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor   <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>   www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "I never make predictions and I never will" -- Paul Gascoigne.

Received on Wednesday, 21 November 2001 09:54:12 UTC